We are looking forward to another great year with all the prospects and challenges at Woodsboro ISD.

This summer, our staff attended training directed at a new 1:1 initiative for fifth and sixth grades.

Teachers will be focusing on alternative methods of delivering instruction with computer assistance. Teachers had two days of training in July and have been working on some online enhancement training since that time.

WISD is in the second year of a three-year phase in for a reading and math technology program made up of Reading Plus and Achieve 3000.

These programs will assist students at all levels to improve their academic skills.

The Secondary Campus continues to work with Coastal Bend College, and in cooperation with Refugio ISD, to offer dual credit and Career and Technology Courses. Oil and Gas Production, Welding, and CNA classes will be offered in the fall semester.

Two-a-days are under way and both Coach Miller and Coach Waer are looking for very successful seasons. The athletes are excited and are working hard despite the heat.

Woodsboro is one of the pilot districts for the new STATE Teacher and Principal Appraisal System. This will require some paradigm shifts, but I know all of us are up to it.

We will work under a new nine-week calendar this year. The Calendar Committee believed this gives students a better opportunity to adjust after each progress report. We will continue the Optional Flexible Year Program, with 170 days for students meeting state and local expectations.

Trustees has given the go ahead on the renovation plans of the auditorium and the OK to proceed with building plans for the new field house and concession stand. We should see work beginning soon at the auditorium.

WES has several new additions: Chris Shaw and Megan Montemayor at kindergarten; JoAnn Franke and Ernie Gonzales at first grade; Victoria Reagan at second grade; Ashley Davis at third grade; and Juan Padron as half-time special education teacher.

Rozene Lara has joined our SPED paraprofessional staff, with Melissa Moya, and Kat Foster moving from the secondary campus. Regina DeLeon has moved to third grade, Karen Self to pre-K, Kathy Albert to second grade, Kylie Bolcik to third grade, Karen Piland to Content Mastery and ISS, and Beth Veselka to GT/RTI.

Debbie Herrera has moved to the HS side of WJSHS. We have two new paraprofessionals in the Life Skills classroom: Ana Garcia and Irene Allbright.

On the School First Financial Accountability System, Woodsboro has received a Preliminary Ranking of Superior.

A public hearing will be scheduled later this fall to go over details. On the new Texas Academic Performance Report, Woodsboro Elementary received a rating of Improvement Required, as did the Secondary Campus. Of course, none of us are happy about these designations, but we all know this does not define us as a district.

We will continue to offer our students opportunities not found in most small Texas schools.